SMS (Short Messaging Service) is a communication tool for people using their mobile or laptop by sending short text messages to each other devices (mobile or laptop). In the early 90’s, people are given the additional functions to send text messages using their mobile phone via GSM network other than voice calling. With the improvement of technology, SMS online services like WhatsApp, Facebook messaging and other related software allowed the user to send text messages to each other via mobile data or internet instead of the telco network. This, in turn, has greatly reduced the need to use the default SMS services in their mobile phone as it is a chargeable service from the Telco company most of the time.
To understand further, an SMS gateway is an online website that allows users to send or received SMS messages from a Web browser to the target recipient people within the cell served by the targeted gateway. An SMS gateway can also be used as an international gateway for global users with mobile roaming capability, which in turn allow online communication via SMS from the home network.
One benefit of using SMS gateways as compared to traditional SMS is that SMS gateway service helps to resolve telecommunications issues by which mobile users can occasionally encountered communication issues and are usually charged extra when the users send or receive the text message from other mobile users from another country’s telco provider. Whereas for SMS gateways works by acting as a relay to translate one communication protocol into another which the operators of the wireless network will, in turn, use the SMS gateways to connect the SMSCs (SMS centers) as part of the network to route, forward or store incoming/outgoing text messages to the target endpoints which is usually recipient’s mobile device.
Singapore itself is one of the most tech-savvy population which almost everybody regardless of age group will prefer to use SMS gateway service to send text messages to their friends or families locally or overseas. Even working professionals also use such services as it has more SMS features such as working group chat in WhatsApp or WeChat and most will simply agree that using SMS gateway services are flexible since the app software are easily download and most of the SMS gateway software has no boundary restrictions. Not to mention that most if not all SMS gateway services are free of charge and only required mobile data or internet to activate.